


Surrender; or Twice is a Pattern

by Redofthewolves



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Bottom Jack, Dumb Men Who Won't Let Themselves Be Happy, Enthusiastic Consent, M/M, Second Time, Surprisingly Little Angst, Top Ianto, broken coda, post-Broken
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 23:27:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7484130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redofthewolves/pseuds/Redofthewolves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Ianto knew it was still a bad idea. He’d thought as much the first time, the morning afterwards, and every day since then. But there was something about Jack that drew him in, twisted him up inside, made him feel like he was flying and falling all at once.</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After the events of Broken, Ianto thought the equilibrium of the universe might finally balance. He should have known Jack was like a black hole, daunting and ultimately inescapable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surrender; or Twice is a Pattern

**Author's Note:**

> Characters, settings, and other properties belong to the BBC. Except Ianto Jones. He's mine now. You've lost your right to him.
> 
> Title from Surrender by Electric Light Orchestra, which didn't make it onto [my Janto mix](http://adhdalistair.tumblr.com/post/109756852279), but still deserves a special shoutout.
> 
> Thanks to my betas, tumblr users [gwacko](http://gwacko.tumblr.com), [gayantivan](http://gayantivan.tumblr.com), and [twelvephoneboxes](http://twelvephoneboxes.tumblr.com), for putting up with my whining.

Ianto woke up before his alarm went off, which was a rarity these days, to the sounds of steam being released and someone swearing. The morning sun had just started to rise, casting a hazy blue glow through the blinds. Deeper in his flat, someone had started the coffee machine. Jack hadn’t left in the middle of the night, apparently. Ianto wasn't sure whether he was surprised.

He swung his legs out of bed, frowning. No boxers on. He must have passed out before he could get redressed. Looking over, Ianto spotted them on the floor. Instead of picking them up, he opted of a new pair; he wasn't entirely sure the alien planet he'd been on hadn't been radioactive, and he wasn’t about to take on more cancer risk. Not after the call from his mum.

He paused at the door, unsure. He decided before making an appearance to shower and dress before coming out for the day. It wasn't as if Jack hadn't already seen him naked, but morning afters had their own set of codes, he supposed.

Jack was half dressed himself, bracers hanging against his thighs and shirt unbuttoned. He smiled when Ianto popped his head out, stepping away from the counter. “There you are! You know, I can play a Vetruvyan harp like a master, but I don't think I'll ever be able to figure out this coffee machine. You don't have a toaster, but you've got a coffee machine straight out of the 34rd century?”

“Toaster broke last week. Haven't gotten a new one yet. Machine was a gift from mum,” Ianto muttered, pushing up next to Jack to survey the damage. It looked as if he'd tried to put the grounds in the water tank, and had tried cleaning it out after he'd realized his mistake. No lasting damage, or at least none that couldn't be fixed.

“I took a walk before you got up. Found that nice donut shop just around the corner,” Jack went on, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. A crumpled paper bag sat on Ianto’s kitchen table. “Didn’t think you'd appreciate deli-quality caffeine, though.”

“That’s very considerate of you, sir. Thank you.”

“Don't call me sir, Ianto. Not when we’re off duty, and especially not now,” Jack chided. He folded his arms, but didn't step away from Ianto.

“Jack, I'm not sure-”

“Look, it's like I said last night. This doesn't have to be more than just some one-time physical comfort. You're a good employee, Ianto, and a friend. We can go forward from this like responsible adults. I'm flexible,” he grinned, leaning against the counter.

Ianto thought quietly, turning to the coffee machine. “I'm nothing if not professional, sir,” he shrugged. Jack thankfully didn’t respond, so Ianto turned back to the coffee problem. Reaching up, he pulled down a mug from the cabinet.

“Better get the travel ones,” Jack interrupted, holding Ianto’s wrist, “ I want us getting to work before the rest of the team.”

“Then we’ve got plenty of time,” Ianto snorted. Setting the mugs back down, he picked up one travel mug. Jack went to reach for another, but Ianto closed the cabinet on him.

“I'm sorry Jack, none for you until we reach the Hub. Don't think I haven't forgotten your snide comment yesterday.” His face was serious, but the playful lilt in his voice betrayed him.

“Ianto! You- you are a sadist. I had no idea. Fine, fine, I can wait if it's revenge you’re looking for.”

“I'm not looking for revenge,” Ianto muttered. The _not anymore_ hung unspoken. “But a bit of pain only makes the pleasure better.”

“Now you're just baiting me. C’mon, start up this coffee computer already.”

-

Ianto didn’t end up seeing much of Jack that day. It wasn’t so much that he was avoiding him, as much as it was the rift had decided it had been too quiet lately and needed to cause some havoc. He wouldn’t deny that he wasn’t actively seeking him out, either. There was no longer a malevolent tension between them, but it had morphed into something new and unfamiliar. It was probably for the best that he keep himself scarce for a while, Ianto thought.

It was a week later, and Ianto had felt Jack’s eyes on him every day, different from the usual casual appreciation of Ianto’s attire. It didn’t help that the rift still hadn’t calmed down. About forty minutes after the last member of the team had arrived (Tosh), the rift didn’t so much as go off as the police scanner mentioned something about a ‘orange priest at a pharmacy’. The rift scanner only confirmed it was Torchwood territory. Jack took Owen and Gwen out into the field, leaving Tosh to notify them if anything else popped up, and Ianto to his work downstairs.

He had discussed restarting the Archive Project again with Jack after their night together. Before things had fallen apart, he had taken up the guise of uncluttering the sub-basement archives as a cover for tending to Lisa. Afterwards, he hadn’t managed to venture down there often, and Jack had looked the other way. But if he was serious about contributing now, the archives were his top priority. He had decided to start with the unsorted storage rooms from before official filing policies had been put in place.

He was elbows deep in an old trunk when Jack found him later. Ianto had heard the team’s return over the comms, but his name hadn’t come up, and he’d long since finished any work to be done on the main level; there hadn’t been any reason to come upstairs. Besides, he’d spent way too long trying to unearth whatever had been stored in this chest. It was wrapped in layer after layer of random cloth, all folded differently. One seemed to be a lace blanket, while another was an old skirt. He frowned as he worked, pulling off his jacket and folding it on a nearby chair.

“If you’re looking for a new wardrobe, I wouldn’t start down here. These styles won’t come back for at least another 400 years,” Jack announced as he walked through the archway.

Ianto curled his lips in to keep himself from smiling. “Perhaps I’m trying to be a trend-”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was hit in the chest and knocked backwards. The final wrap had been sticky with some sort of blue substance, and had revealed a small metal box that very much resembled Swiss cheese. When the light had hit the cube, it had shot several blue balls out, which exploded on contact.

Jack swore in a language Ianto didn’t recognize. In a moment, he was at Ianto’s side, hauling him onto a nearby crate and throwing one of the blankets back over the box.

“I’m fine, I’m not injured,” Ianto began to protest. Jack swatted his arms away as he began undoing Ianto’s vest. “Sir? What are you..”

“If I don’t get this stuff off you, you’re going to smell like sulfur for days,” he explained, pulling Ianto’s vest off his shoulders as he kneeled in front of him. Ianto let himself be manhandled, the instinct coming to him naturally. Had they not been in this exact position last night, both trying to rid each other of clothes as fast as possible? He reached out, wrapping a hand around Jack’s shoulder to steady himself. The blue goo had started to heat up; not enough to burn him, but it was enough to feel it. Jack had started in on his dress shirt, hands warm as they brushed against Ianto’s chest. He was uncharacteristically quiet.

“I can undress myself you know,” Ianto muttered, but his breathing stuttered when Jack’s fingers brushed his sternum. Jack finally looked up as he undid the last few buttons, meeting Ianto’s eyes as he helped slide Ianto’s arms out of the shirt and vest. He seemed dazed and far away, until he shook his head and a smirk returned to his face.

“I know you’re very capable, but I’m sure I’ve got more experience taking off clothes,” Jack joked, balling up the stained clothing and throwing it in a pile with the rest of the ruined fabric. As he turned back, his hands held either side of Ianto’s abdomen as his eyes lingered on a spot on his shoulder, and he reached out to trace Ianto’s collarbone. Ianto’s own hand slid from Jack’s shoulder to softly tangle in the hair at the nape of Jack’s neck. This was a bad idea. The first time wasn’t a great idea, but this was worse.

He must have said as much out loud, because Jack hummed quietly, and leaned forward to place a lingering kiss below his neck. “I get tired of doing the right thing sometimes,” he argued quietly, pulling back to be face to face with Ianto. Their noses brushed, and he could feel Jack swallow under his hand. Ianto wondered if Jack could feel how hard his heart was hammering in his chest. He could certainly feel Jack’s.

They both pulled away at nearly the same time when the smell hit them. Jack was right; it definitely was a pungent sulfur smell. Ianto stood up abruptly, using one of the thicker wraps to gather the goo-damaged items together.

“What use is a box that shoots smelly goo?”

“Keeps away pests with a powerful olfactory senses. Agricultural planets always have some traps like this by their crops. I lost a good pair of pants running through a thomsin field rigged with these once.” He shook himself out of his reminiscence, looking over to where Ianto stood with the laundry balled against his chest. “Ianto, if you want-”

“I think I’d best get these in the wash before the smell gets worse. I’ll… we can talk later, Jack.”

The captain frowned as Ianto strode out the door. It was only as he was adding soap to the agitator that he realized he’d called him Jack.

-

He was definitely avoiding Jack now. It wasn’t that hard, considering the mess he had to clean and how long it took to decide on where to file the cube (it had come down to a tie between G for goo and T for trap.) He’d pulled on the spare shirt he kept for emergencies like this, unhappy with the way it looked with his pants. By the time Ianto returned to the main level, most of the team had made themselves scarce. Gwen sat at her desk, various files open on her screens.

“Jack told me to tell you he’d be back in a bit. He and Owen are taking the Lurman to the train station,” she called to him as he came up the ramp.

He headed her way, noticing pizza boxes that had been left on the couch. Typical. “Why didn’t he just use the comms?”

“Dunno really,” she shrugged, “Owen was in a mad rush to get our visitor out of here, though. Said he was too chatty. Personally, I think he’s just scared of religion.” She swiveled to face him as he passed, clearly bored with her work.

“Growing up Catholic will do that,” Ianto quipped back, his deadpan humor coming as naturally as ever. He scooped up the boxes, crushing them flat with his shoes.

“Ianto, is that a smile I see? I don’t think I’ve seen you smile in months!” she pointed out, bangs falling in her face.

“Yes, well.” He didn’t have an answer for that. It was probably true, best he could figure.

“Look, I mean, your business is your business; I just wanted you to know it’s nice to have you back. Y’know, to your old self.”

Was he his old self though? Something was different now, he knew that much. It would take time for him to figure out how he’d changed, though, if ever. He must have been thinking for too long, because Gwen was giving him a look.

“Thank you,” he said, because that’s what you were supposed to say. It seemed to satisfy her, and she smiled, swiveling back around.

“Oh! Jack also said to meet him in his office when he gets back. Are you two working on something together?”

“Something like that.” He was grateful she’d turned around, because the flush on his cheeks was definitely be noticeable.

-

He was sure waiting in Jack’s office seemed overeager, but he had already locked up the tourist office and fed Myfanwy, which left him nothing to do. He settled on holding the railing outside the office door, practicing what he’d say to Jack in his head. Problem was, Ianto couldn’t seem to pin down the message he wanted to convey or find a way for the fantasy to end. Well, it wasn’t much of a fantasy if ideally it ends in a handshake and a smile. There, that’s an ending.

The cog door rolled open about ten minutes later, long enough for Ianto to work up a rich lather of anxiety. He straightened, opening a random file he was holding (Gelezen, filed under P for planet), and pretending to read it. He heard Jack tell Gwen that if today’s paperwork was done, he wanted to see her packing up and going home. Then, he heard Jack’s shoes echoing off the stairs. He also heard Jack walk beside him. He refused to look up for any of this, busy fitting the folder back in the stack.

“Doing some light reading?” Jack teased, moving past Ianto to open his office door.

“Fascinating stuff. I found we didn’t have any files on the ocean. Plenty of empty files with random planet names, and not a single file on the Atlantic,” Ianto quipped back. The banter helped him ignore his pulse beating against his jacket sleeve. He followed in after Jack, gently closing the door behind him.  


“Until we get a real kaiju crawling out of the ocean, there’s not much down there except fish and shipwrecks. Anything for me in here?” Jack asked, unceremoniously taking the files out of Ianto’s hand and flipping through them.

“No, I was just heading to file them away.” A lie, and an obvious one. He’d been standing in one place for ten minutes. Thankfully, Jack didn’t make any indication that he knew Ianto wasn’t being honest. Instead, he dropped the folders onto his desk, and turned to lean against it, hands gripping the wood.

“You wanted to talk,” Jack reminded him, when he remained silent.

“I did,” Ianto agreed, taking several steps towards the desk. He swallowed as he stopped by of Jack, stuffing his hands in his pockets nervously. He clenched his fist in his pocket to keep from straightening Jack’s lapels.

Jack pushed himself off the desk, putting himself directly in front of Ianto, chest to chest. He clasped his hands behind his back, smiling. “Well, team’s gone for the day. What’s on your mind, Ianto?”

“I thought we could discuss…” He could feel Jack’s body heat through both their clothes. “What happened earlier…” Ianto could smell Jack this close, heady and masculine. “In the basement…” Jack wasn’t looking him in the eyes. Instead, he was staring at Ianto’s mouth.

“Oh, sod it.”

Reminiscent of their first real kiss, Ianto pulled Jack to him with two hands cupping his jaw. This time, though, Jack was ready, wrapping an arm around Ianto’s waist. The kiss was immediately open-mouth and dirty, pent up from days of looking and not touching, Ianto’s hands sliding down to Jack’s collar. He pushed off his chest impatiently, trying to unbutton his own shirt without breaking the kiss. It didn’t work; their foreheads bumped, and Jack had to grab Ianto’s wrists to keep him from overbalancing.

“You’re going to hurt yourself like that,” he laughed, pulling Ianto’s hands back to his chest. “We should talk, though. I’m onboard to do this again, but only if you are. I need to hear some consent.”

“Jack,” Ianto whined, leaning in to try to kiss him again. Jack leaned away, giving him a pointed look. Ianto huffed, sliding his hands down to Jack’s waist. “I tried to let it go, but I want you again. God, I want you. Is that consent enough?”

Jack didn’t answer him, instead planting a string of sloppy kisses across Ianto’s jaw. He nipped lightly behind Ianto’s ear, causing him to shudder. Ianto busied himself undoing Jack’s bracers and pulling his shirt out of his pants, undoing buttons from the bottom up.

“As much as I’d like to absolutely ruin my office, what I’ve got in mind needs a bed. Mind if we move this party somewhere a little softer?” Jack murmured into his ear, tugging lightly on his earlobe.

“What, like the couch?”

Jack laughed at that, backing away slightly to slide his shirt off his shoulders and pull his undershirt over his head. “Are you telling me you didn’t know I lived here?”

Ianto knew there was a bunker beneath Jack’s office, but he’d always assumed it was a safety precaution. “I thought you might have a flat, like a normal person,” he admitted, his thumb brushing Jack’s nipple as he explored his chest.

Jack’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Ianto pretended he didn’t notice. “I think by now you know I’m not a normal person.”

-

By the time they’d reached Jack’s bed, he was already naked. Jack had commented as he stripped that usually he loved taking the time to undress, but he was too eager today. Ianto, on the other hand, had only managed to toe off his shoes and socks, too busy running hands over Jack’s shoulders, the lines of his abdomen, his ass. Last time, they had been too frantic, too desperate to forget the world with each other. Ianto vowed he’d take more time this go-around, in case this really was to be the last time.

He found himself standing before Jack, who had sat himself on the edge of the bed and pulled Ianto towards him. The room was surprisingly spartan, only a bed, a dresser, and another door, presumably to a bathroom. All in all, not the most intimate bedroom, but Jack could bring that energy to any room he was in.

Jack’s smile was broad as he helped Ianto pull off his trousers and pants, ignoring Ianto’s cry of protest as he threw them towards the wall. Jack shushed him with a kiss to the hip and effectively silenced him with a kiss to the base of his cock. He mouthed his way down, and softly tongued Ianto’s tip, gauging his sensitivity as he listened to the way Ianto’s breathing hitched. His erection had deflated somewhat as they’d maneuvered themselves down the ladder, but Jack’s tongue and the hand that drifted from his hip to gently roll his sack had him aching soon enough.

Ianto could feel his whole body flush, and his hand twitched against his side, eager to run it through Jack’s hair. He settled on brushing strands off Jack’s face, already starting to stick to his forehead. Jack’s half-lidded eyes met his, and he reached out for Ianto’s wrist, guiding his hand to his hair. The captain’s own hand went to hold Ianto’s cock as he sank his mouth down. Ianto tried to stifle a groan, hand tightening in the captain’s bangs. Jack bobbed his head several times, before pushing into Ianto’s hand, nodding as much as he could in his position. He let his jaw go slack, and looked up at Ianto patiently, cheeks flushed.

“Jesus, Jack…” he swore, experimentally sliding in and out of Jack’s mouth. Jack gripped the edge of the bed to steady himself as his partner’s thrusts picked up speed. He whimpered low in his throat, suddenly reaching out to hold Ianto back. The other man frowned slightly as Jack pulled off, but he reassured him nothing was wrong with a quick kiss to his belly button.

“I want you to fuck me. Do you want to do that?” His lips were puffy and shiny, and he reached down to tease his own cock, which was still heavy and engorged despite being ignored.

Ianto didn’t answer properly, but instead leaned down to kiss him, tasting himself on Jack’s tongue, mumbled ‘oh God’s and yeses falling from his lips. They crawled backwards, falling fully onto the mattress. One of Jack’s ankles curled around Ianto’s shin as he settled on top of him. Jack took the opportunity to flip them over, both bouncing slightly as he ground his hips down. Ianto ran a hand up his chest as Jack reached over to his dresser to fish something out of his sock drawer.

“You keep your lube in with your pants? Did your parents already find it under your bed?” Ianto teased around Jack’s nipple, laving the nub with his tongue as best he could as he supported the captain’s weight.

Jack playfully swatted his shoulder as he resettled himself. “I’ve got limited storage space, thank you,” he defended, spreading lube between his fingers. Without any ceremony, he reached behind and slid two fingers easily inside himself. Ianto raised an eyebrow.

Jack just shrugged playfully, breath hitching as he adjusted to his scissoring. “I gave it a fifty-fifty chance we’d end up here. Might have done some prep work before heading back.”

“Don’t tell me you let Owen see,” Ianto chuckled, his own hand squeezing the curve of Jack’s ass.

“What, would you be jealous?” he teased, glancing down at Ianto’s cock. Seeming to make a decision, he added another finger.

“Yes,” Ianto answered honestly, his hand wandering to join Jack’s. He pushed the captain’s hand aside, thumbing his hole gently before sliding in his own fingers.

Jack’s forehead fell against his shoulder, and he turned his head to nibble at Ianto’s neck. “Know what you’re doing there?” he asked. He cried out when Ianto’s middle finger found his prostate.

“You might be my first man,” Ianto breathed, watching his fingers slide in and out of Jack, “but I’ve experimented before.”

“Lucky me, then,” Jack smiled. He crawled forward, letting Ianto’s fingers slip out of him.

“Wait, we need- Condoms, Jack,” Ianto frowned, turning to look around.

“No need. Got both our med records on file. We’re fine,” Jack argued back, stealing another kiss.

“Alright, enough of that.” Using what was left on his hands, he spread the remaining lube across Ianto’s cock. Ianto had to smile at Jack’s eagerness. Down here, in the soft light from his lamp and away from the normal world, Jack looked years younger. The sweat made his hair cling to his forehead, and worry lines seemed to have disappeared from his face.

Ianto helped position Jack, and held his hips as Jack took him in. He leaned back finally, letting himself lie down against the mattress and admire the view. Jack smiled back at him, jaw going slack when he was fully seated.

Ianto kept himself still, letting Jack adjust to the stretch. Eventually, Jack pulled himself up, sink back onto him with a groan. “Oh, that’s good,” he grinned, steadying himself on Ianto’s chest as he started a slow rhythm. Ianto’s toes curled against the sheets as Jack’s dick slapped against his stomach. His hands tightened on Jack’s hips, goading him into picking up the pace. Jack moaned again, leaning down to claim Ianto’s mouth. Ianto smirked against his lips, using the angle to roll them back over, slipping out in the process.

“Wait, wait,” Jack spoke up, holding his hands out suddenly. Ianto backed away immediately, removing all contact between them. “No, I’m fine, I want to keep going, let me just,” he assured Ianto, reaching out to slide a pillow under his hips. Ianto sighed in relief, one hand sliding back into Jack’s hair while the other held his hip. Jack helped guide his cock back inside him, the slide easy this time.

Ianto was too far gone to take it slow again; the feel of Jack around him, the blissed-out look on his face, the way his hands grabbed at his back were all driving him a little bit mad. He was a bit worried that his grip of Jack’s hip might bruise, but he knew the bite he was giving the curve of Jack’s neck definitely would. He let go, mumbling Welsh into the mattress as Jack thrust his hips up to meet Ianto.

Jack reached down, gripping his own cock and stroking in time with Ianto’s movements. “Fuck, Ianto, keep going, just like that,” he babbled, pushing his head into the younger man’s. Letting go of his hair, Ianto braced his arm against the mattress, supporting his weight as he leaned in to taste Jack again. Jack groaned into his mouth as he came across his stomach, panting heavily through his nose. He convulsed around Ianto, causing him to shudder once, twice, and then he was gone, swearing heavily as he thrust shallowly into Jack until they were both oversensitive. Then, Ianto collapsed.

-

It was about a minute before either of them came back to their senses. Ianto politely rolled off Jack, and very impolitely flopped face-first onto the mattress. Jack took another minute before groaning as he rolled off the bed, and padded his way to the door. The bathroom light flipped on, and Ianto listened to the sound of running water.

When Jack returned, he was carrying a wet washcloth. Graciously, Ianto didn’t snicker at the way his legs trembled as he walked. Jack flopped onto the bed next to him, tapping his hip. “C’mon, let’s clean you up,” he smiled as Ianto rolled over. His hand drifted out unconsciously, and he stroked Jack’s arm as the captain gently cleaned his stomach. The smile Jack gave him was surprisingly tender, one that Ianto wasn’t sure he’d seen before.

“I want to do that again,” he blurted, immediately closing his eyes and wiping a hand down his face. Foolish. When he opened them again, Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I’ll need a bit, but I’m game for another round if you are,” he replied as Ianto sat up, tossing the cloth somewhere behind him. Probably right onto Ianto’s suit, knowing his luck.

“I think I mean… at a later date. As in, maybe tomorrow. Or the next day.” Jack raised both eyebrows at that.

Ianto knew it was still a bad idea. He’d thought as much the first time, the morning afterwards, and every day since then. But there was something about Jack that drew him in, twisted him up inside, made him feel like he was flying and falling all at once. As messed up as the whole situation was, Jack was one of the few people who’d ever made him feel off-kilter.

“I thought we’d agreed that could get messy,” Jack huffed, pushing his hair out of his face.

“I think we just made it messy, Jack. Once is an incident, twice is a pattern,” he countered, dropping his hand away from where had been resting on Jack’s bicep.

Jack took a long moment to study him, before dipping down to press a kiss to Ianto’s nose. “You called me Jack,” he smiled.

“Let me do that again, and I’ll call you anything you want.”

**Author's Note:**

> I've been a Torchwood fan since 2009, and this is surprisingly my first fic in the fandom. Also, my first smut. Torchwood has always been a lot of firsts for me.
> 
> Jack and Ianto didn't use a condom, but you always should! Stay safe kiddos.
> 
> Find me on tumblr at [adhdalistair](adhdalistair.tumblr.com).


End file.
